Offshore wind was touted as a key part of Australia’s energy transition – but does it still have a future?

Turbines at an offshore windfarm in Taiwan. The Albanese government has talked up offshore wind’s role in Australia’s energy transition, but multiple projects have failed to get off the ground. Photograph: Efy Chen/Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP)

For many Australians, the scale of offshore wind projects can be hard to fathom. These powerful machines, designed to harness the strong and consistent winds blowing over the ocean, are colossal, with blade tips reaching up to 350m – higher than our tallest skyscrapers.

If everything falls into place, Australia’s first offshore wind project could have turbines in the water before 2032.